How to Perform the 10 Most Common Operations in Microsoft FrontPage

For those of you new or not yet very experienced with Microsoft Front Page, the Web site design and management tool, consider this a cheat sheet of sorts because, instead of consulting an entire book or opening up endless Help windows, you can use - and even print out - the contents of this article show you all you need to know in how to perform the 10 most common FrontPage operations without any fuss or muss. For those of you with a bit more experience, consider this a refresher course.

1. Opening a Web and Web page

If you don't have a Web yet, you can start one in a flash.

Click File, New (or press Control-N).

When the right-hand task pane opens, under New Web Site, double-click on the selection you want to use, such as one of the templates.

If you have already started a Web, open it like this:

Click File, Open (or Control-O)

The Open File window opens to your My Webs folder where your Web sites are or will be stored by default on your system. You can select a Web by double-clicking on it, or you can select an individual page listed also by double-clicking upon it.

To close a Web site you've opened, click File and then Close Site.

2. Saving a Page

To save a page you're working on, click File and then Save, which opens the Save window. Typing Control-S does the same thing.

Choose where you want the file saved. By default, this will be saved in the current open Web.

Click Change Title and provide a brief, unique, descriptive title for this page (such as "Meet Our Team".

Under File Name, type a name for the file, such as "index", or "about us" or "bio".

Click Save.

FrontPage automatically saves files - unless told otherwise - using the *.htm file extension used by FrontPage to store Web pages.

The first time you save each file, you are prompted with the Save window to provide the information we just covered. Each additional time you save the same file, however, FrontPage will re-save it using the info you typed in.

If you want to save a file using a new and different file name, click the File menu and choose Save As, then provide the location, title, and file name as before.

3. Deleting a Page - Deleting a Page from Navigation View

To delete an existing page from a Web, locate the file to want to remove by consulting the list of Web files in your Web folder under Web Site folders view, and either right-click and choose Delete or simply press your Delete key.

However, if you want to remove a page from your site navigation without removing it from your Web site itself, the steps differ.

Open your Web in Navigation view by choosing the Navigation option near the bottom of the FrontPage work window. Then click on the file you want to remove from navigation and either right-click and choose Delete or press your Delete key.

Remember, this removes the file from navigation, but it's still available to change and edit and then add back to navigation later, as warranted.

4. Adding a Page to your Site Navigation

What do you when you want to add a newly created page to your Web Site's navigation list so visitors can find it? Open Web Site in Folders view, click on the page you want to add to your site navigation and without releasing your mouse button, drag it down to the Navigation option near the bottom of the work area and drop it into place.

This automatically opens up Navigation view and lets you move the new page into the proper position and release your mouse button. If you want to move it again later on, just click on the page in Navigation view and drag it to the newly designated position.

5. Adding a Hyperlink

Type the text you want to use as a hyperlink.

Highlight it by pressing the Control Key and then moving the right cursor to the last letter in the last word of the text to be used as a hyperlink.

Right click and select Hyperlink or click the Hyperlink icon in the FrontPage toolbar.

This opens the Insert Hyperlink window. Type the text to display for the hyperlink (if any), select Link to Existing File or Web Page and then where to Look in (Current Folder or other for the page). Then either double-click on a listed file or Web page or type the address of the Web page in the Address dialog box below. Click OK.

Look back at your page, and you now see an underline beneath the hyperlinked text. Pass your mouse over it, and you will see it's a hyperlink.

Just remember, always verify your hyperlinks to prevent a dead link from annoying your visitors.

6. Inserting HTML

You may find that you occasionally want to add some hypertext markup language (HTML) code directly to a page you're creating in FrontPage. The quickest way to add a simple line of code is by using Design view.

Place your cursor in the location on the page where you want to insert the HTML.

Then press CTRL+Q which brings up the Quick Tag Editor. Type your single line of HTML in place, and press the green check mark to enter it.

To close the Quick Tag editor, click the X at the right of the editor window.

7. Inserting an Image in a Web Page

Inserting an image is easy in FrontPage. Simply open the page where you want to add the image, and position your cursor where you want the image to appear.

Then open the Insert menu.

Select Picture. Then choose from a host of options, including the FrontPage Clip Art library, from a file already stored on your system, acquire it from your attached scanner or digital camera, or create your own using Drawing or WordArt.

8. Changing your text format and sizing on a Web page.

Highlight the text you want to change.

Right click and choose Font from the sub-menu.

Select the Font Type, style, size, and color, and then click OK. Remember to review your changes to be sure they work.

Remember, too, rules learned elsewhere in this tutorial set about using good, easy-to-read fonts and colors.

9. Starting a new Web page with a page template.

With your Web open, click New or press CTRL+N.

From the right-hand task pane, under New Page, select More Page Templates.

This should open the Page Templates window to the General tab. Look at your options there, including Normal Page (for a regular blank page), Guest Book, and Search Page.

Double-click on the template you want to use.

The template is then opened as the basis for your new page in your FrontPage work window.

10. Publishing Your Web Changes with Microsoft FrontPage

When you're ready to publish your Web to a Web server, first be sure that all pages currently open on the desktop are saved. If they aren't, you'll be prompted to save them first or proceed without the current modifications.

Then open the File menu and select Publish Site.

When the Remote Web Site Properties window opens, choose the Remote Web Server type your Web server or Web host uses. If you have a FrontPage-capable host, for example, you will use FrontPage or SharePoint Services above and let the publishing occur automatically once you type in the Web address of your server under Remote Web Site Location.

Click OK, and then you'll see a publishing screen that lists files both on your local Web (the one on your PC) as well as on the remote Web server, where your site is available to the public.

You are prompted for your user name and password to log into the Web server to publish.

Under Publish All Changed Pages, click to select Local to Remote.

Then click Publish Web Site.

Congratulations. You've now learned how to perform the 10 most common operations you will use again and again in Microsoft FrontPage.